SHIPPING DELAYED AT LYTTELTON.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14343, 1 May 1912, Page 10

SHIPPING DELAYED AT LYTTELTON.

After the boisterous fxale of Siuiday, there was a brief lull in the weather on Monday, only to be followed by a. worse visitation. A coid southerly wind with heavy rain set in a,fc Lyttelton late on Monday night I and the weather conditions yesterday morning wore wild and wintry. The hills behind the town received their first coating of enow during the night, and there was a heavy fall of snow on Banks Peninsula and all tho peaks round tho harbour. Tho enow is unusually eariy this season, and apparently the winter is going to bo both. Jong and severe. ' Ihe ram was torrential, and, ail tho gullies round tho towu. emptied their muddy torrents into tho harbour.' ASoiTg tho lower slopes of Mount Herbert dozeus of miniaturo waterfalls pouring into the sea showed plainly how heavy the rain had been during tho night. The barometer was very low this morning, the glass reading 2D.28 at noon. The weather was, if anything, worse yesterday afternoon, and the wintry galo and torrent of driving rain uiiule. matters very unpleasant in Port. Work on tho waterfront was practically at a standstill Tail day, and a largo number of steamers and coastal boats were unable to load or discharge their cargoes. The Wairuna, Koohya, Whangapo, Canopus, Surrey, Nerehana, Corinthic, and Canopus did practically no work all day. Tho turbine ferry steamer Maori was an hour lale yesterday morning. She was detained at Wellington the previous night, and did not leave until 8.40 p.m. A strong nor'-wester was experienced shortly after leaving, but tho vessel had not gono far before she met the southerly, which freshener! to a galo early yesterday morning, and was accompanied by .considerable sea. The night was cold and "dirty." with heavy rain, but the Maori mado a good nin of under 11 hours to Lyttelton, whore she arrived at 7.50 a-m. yesterday.